Journey to Hope and Despair: Lost Lessons
by Zylwe
Summary: Short stories from all across the time. Spoilers for Seasons 1 and 2.
1. Lost Lesson 1

_The trapped thing is close to death, but his powers are still salvageable. He is the all-observer, and thus his eyes still possess clarity, even though the void has taken over most of his mind. But as the void fills his body, the eyes will soon become useless. So, you force them open, trying to focus them on what has been hidden. However, the do not seem to obey your will, instead showing you an unstable vision. It seems you have to go through these visions to uncover the truth. It is still possible to turn back, so will you?_

 _It seems like you are not the type of person who would retreat while so close to a goal. So, the gate opens._

 **Lost Lesson 1**

 **3 weeks after Void Breach**

It had been stupid of her to use so much force when fighting the demons. While Mei had been in complete , she had had time to think about the things she had done wrong. _I spent all of my energy, and thus the duel with Fate almost killed me. Our side almost lost two Guardians because of my mistake._ But what should she have done? _A retreat would have been best at that point. We had other people who were able to fight, and we could have fought with the Enforcer anyway._

But past is past. Now, the girl already focuses on the future. _We got here without problems, but I have to keep Daiki hidden for a while. When Eternity died, she took her ghosts with her, but perhaps she kept some of the cultists alive. And also, the boy needs training. And a good deck._ Slowly, she rose from the bed, her feet still shaky. It would take some time before she would recover, and time was short. _A year or two...I hope the third general acts fast. If he waits ten years, then I won't be around to stop him._

Disregarding her wounds, Mei moves towards the living room, where Silver is explaining things to Daiki. Humans cannot use magic without a link to a Guardian or a magical construct like a planar, but it couldn't hurt to learn about the basics. After all, he would have to be able to defend against Guardians of Despair. _Ah, you are awake, Sensei,_ The boy was progressing well, but all his knowledge until now had been theory. Soon, they could start the practical lessons. But now, the boy could enjoy the peace after the earlier battle.

 _By the way, Sensei...why did you disguise me as a girl when we escaped Heartland? I mean, with all the magic, you could have done anything else._ Shrugging, Mei answered: _Silver had that idea. Ask her._ The boy repeated the question, using the mental bond the Guardian had created. _Why not? No greater meaning, it just amused me to see your reaction. And besides, you were a cute little girl._ After that, the draggon giggled,turning towards Mei to ask: _Right, Master? It was a perfect disguise, wasn't it._

After the remark, the room was filled with laughter. _Yep, but we shouldn't use that thing again._ Ignoring the sad puppy eyes of the Guardian, the Master continued: _No,we have got better disguises, and most of them are less noticable. Unless Daiki wants to be the center of attention all again?_ The boy blushed, but then answered hurriedly: _No way. Never again._ _Those people were creepy._ _Almost as creepy as the guy Silver told me about. Or showed me, you know her spells. What-was-his-name with no eyes and a sister complex?_

 _Agony. And speaking of Chosen of Despair, I have to test a thing._ Mei took out a set of cards from thin air, placing them on the table. Daiki looked at the cards, reading their titles out loud. _Berserk Dragon, Fate Twister, Lachesis. What are these cards?_ Silver explained: _These are the Guardian cards we have taken from Despair. All of these are incompatible with Mei, but one of them might work wih out personality. If it does, you get a lesser spirit to guard you until you summon your real Guardian._ As Silver explained, Daiki realized something. The only way to extract a Guardian was to kill the owner. And the stack Mei was offering was very tall. Had she and Silver killed all these people?

 _Yes. We have caused much destruction upon the ranks of Despair._ The boy realized that he had accidentally voiced the thought, and asked: _I mean...I killed the spirit that attacked me. And I didn't feel horrible or anything, just relieved that he was gone. Am I a...natural killer or something._ To this, Mei-sensei shook her head. _You destroyed a non-human in self-defense. It was easy to think of it as a monster, and just let your instincts do your job. It's a whole different thing to kill a human being in cold blood._

 _And besides, humans are different. Some of us feel sick, some of us are shattered to pieces after a experience like that. Some of us can explain their acts to themselves better than others. You are not a monster if you kill soldiers of the enemy side. It will get easier and easier to forget that the opponent is anything but an target to be eliminated. But if you start killing bystanders in cold blood, then you should have a pretty good reason for it. Otherwise, you are no longer a soldier, and then you are a monster._

Shocked by the talk, Daiki only now realized his had was resting on the top of the stack. _Come on, browse through them. You will see if any of them is compatible with you._


	2. Lost Lesson 2

_The vision shifts again, revealing a scene not from Earth. It is still not what you are looking for, but it seems like you have to observe these chaotic images before the goal can be reached._

 **Lost Lesson 2**

The battle was going well. It was bad that the battle had begun in the first place, but at least it was going well. Of course, when you were in the middle of a battle, you couldn't think thoughts like this, you had to focus to the enemy at hand. And so Takumi did, ducking below the blow of the Ryu Kokki, slashing the Ogre in the hand with his sword. _It did not even flinch!_ It looked like the skulls had blocked the blow, deflecting it without any further harm. But Takumi was not the one that was supposed to harm it anyways, as proved when a lightning bolt strck the ogre, disabling it.

 _Your movements are still too stiff, but you are improving._ When Takumi and Lotus had joined the Archfiends in their quest to find a new home, they had hatched a plan. Using his mental link, Takumi had been forced to relive the memories of training and battle the Guardian possessed. The training had prepared his mind how to use multiple weapons. However, his body could not follow the speed his mind was processing the moves, and that made his moves weak. So the duo had decided to keep Takumi on the defense when Lotus attacked the weak spots.

But now, it looked like most of the zombies had been cleared away. After a long negotiation with the Dark Council, the Archfiends had managed to install Terrorking as a councilman. Now, they had received the right to claim an area of the Zombie World as their new homeland. And now they were raiding the surroundings to ensure that the zombies respected the New Pandemonium. They had found multiple groups of trespassers, and warned all of them away. However, most of them had chose to fight. _But a Ryu Kokki? That was the strongest creature we have fought against yet._

 _I don't think that these ones are coming here voluntarily. Perhaps someone in the Council disagrees with the project. For some reason, although they are all creatures of darkness, they consider Archfiends a special kind of evil. Or anyone else in this world. By allying with the Archfiends, we have made some powerful enemies. But now that we have fought alongside them, I cannot break the alliance._ Takumi knew what the Guardian meant: _They are desperate. That's why they chose to ally with Despair, who was they only one that recognized their power._

But now the battle had ended, and the group were returning home. As they walked, Takumi observed the decaying land devoid of life. _What do they see in this place?_ But Lotus knew the answer: _They see their home again. This world is like the Pandemonium._ It the distance, the Fiends had set up an encampment. As the group approached it, they saw someone familiar. Gorz had arrived, and was busy talking with Terrorking. _Oh yes, he is the Dark Emissary. He delivers messages among the races of the council._

Now, the Terrorking turned towards Takumi. _The Chosen One. We would like to greet you for your efforts. It is thanks to you that we have our land and we finally are one of the council. As the king of the Archfiends, I would like to give you a gift. If you wish, our spirits will help you in your duels._ He thought about the offer, with Lotus chiding in: _It is a great honor they are offering you, but accept only if you are sure that you wish to use a deck filled with Archfiends._ The King extended his hand, and without hesistation Takumi shook it. _I accept. We have fought alongside here, and I wish to continue that alliance._ As the pact was complete, a dark light surrounded the duo, and the Chosen could begin to hear ominous laughter. He felt power flow into his body, filling him with the spirits of the Archfiends. As the spell continued, Lotus began switching shape.

The armor the female warrior wore began shifting, growing spikes and becoming more jagged in appearance. One of her shoulder-pads grew in size, taking the form of a draconic head. Lotus itself was wracked by horrid energies, her skin turning darker and darker by the second. The spell she used to call weapons flickered on and off, taking multiple forms each second,each weapon dripping green ooze. The only untouched thing was the lightning-blade, which still contained the powers of Hamon. As the transformation concluded, the newborn fiend opened it's red eyes, lifting the blade to the sky. The ground shook as monster screamed: _**I AM THE STORMBRINGER!**_

Takumi stepped away from the transformed Guardian, but as he did, the woman turned into a spirit and faded away. _The Chosen One accepted our gift, and her Guardian has blessed us with thunderous might! Now, we Archfiends have returned to this world!_ As the Terroring chanted this, he raised a package that Gorz had given him. _I hold the rights to this land, and by that right, I activate Terraforming! Pandemonium, be reborn!_ The world twisted, and Takumi expected another slow change. However, this time the transformation was instant. The wasteland had vanished, and in its place was a city.

The streets were not paved, but instead they were of red-and black ash. The buildings were simple and reinforced, more like defense towers. Strong metal walls surrounded the city from intrusions. And in the middle of it all, there was a giant building, called into being atop a conjured hill. _That is our memorial. To the spirits of the Archfiends that have been defeated. To the great spirits that created us. To our heroes who fought for us. Chosen of Hope, on the day of yor death, we will add you there. And your Guardian, the Stormbringer!_

 _But now, we will celebrate the rebirth of Archfiends!_ As the King announced this, each citizen roared as well. The air was filled with cacophony of joy that could be heard all the way to the faraway reaches of the Zombie World.


	3. Lost Lesson 3

_This image is from a earlier time, from before you began your first observation. However, you feel that it has influenced a recent event. You are close to your goal now._

 **Lost Lesson 3**

I think that I am going insane.

The masks used to haunt my dreams. I have seen them ever since the accident. But now, I see them all the time. Every person who I see has one. But for some reason, when I look in a mirror, my image has none. And all of the masks are different. Different colours, but all of them shaped like human faces. Different expressions on each, but not all of them are whole. Some of the masks have cracked a bit, some are halfway broken, some are reduced to a small shard.

...

Now I see her. The ethereal little girl floats next to me wherever I go. Who could she be...I don't know. She wears a mask, but so does everyone I see, so I can't be sure whether the mask is real. Funny. Heere I am, pondering whether a hallucination is real or not. If I only knew what is happening to me. It's been half a year since I fainted during the closing of the orphanage, and since then, the visions have been plaguing me.

...

I know what they are now. I saw a young man riding a motorcycle, and the mask on his face broke apart. Then, in five seconds, he was hit by a car. They took him to hospital, but he was dead on arrival. I thought that it was a coincidence, so I tested it out. When my husband was sleeping, I touched his mask, and ripped most of it off. I left only a miniature fragment of it attached to his face. He did not feel a thing, and that afternoon, I was called that he had died in an accident. The beastly man deserved it, but if my hallucinations can have such an effect on the real world, can they be real?

I haven't see the girl for a while, but perhaps she was a shinigami. Perhaps she turned me into one!

...

She has returned, and is growing up fast. Now, the girl is able to talk, and has explained me many things. She calls herself a planar of darkness, Eternity. Master of death and the afterlife. What I understood from her, the are other people like me, and one of them is bound to a Eternity's big sister. _Onee-chan is life, and I am death. Things have to live before they die, so she must be the older one._

I have asked why she chose me, but she told me that she didn't, some other force did. The planar were trapped when they came over here, and someone else distributed them to their masters. It looks like their original bodies can't survive this world, so they deed human hosts. Sadly, she is unable to recall what the world she came from was like.

...

Eternity is growing up fast. I just a couple of years, she has turned from a little child to a young woman. She has reassured me that she will not grow old, however. Her body will soon reach the "optimal age" and remain there. That thing actually makes me a little bit jealous. But we figured out how to split from each other, so Eternity remains home while I go to work. When she goes a certain distance away from me, the world turns back to normal. I miss the masks, but at least it is easier to keep my condition hidden this way.

Over these years, I haven't broken any more masks, but the temptation still remains. I asked Eternity if she would mind me using her powers, and received a strange answer: _All life is flawed. Use my powers as much as you like._ The little temptress even gave me a challenging grin, just to dare me into killing someone. But whose mask should I remove?

...

Three planars are dead. Tanaka Yasu, the woman who possessed all the six planars has died. It seems like there is a secret war going on in the background. The forces of Hope and Despair are clashing, and it looks like one of the planars was teamed up with Despair. Because of this, Hope killed him and two innocent planars, who were never given the chance to be born into this world.

Eternity has shown me visions of the cold gates, and about the things that lie behind those doors. Now, I see what she meant when she told me that life is flawed. There is such peace at the gates, and eternal tranquility behind them. Eternity has been whispering to other people, and so have I. Soon, we will start a plan to bring those gates to this world.

...

It was easy. My friends robbed all the money from the reconstruction project. That money will be spent to pay for the things Eternity needs to conduct the ritual of world-ending. The CEO gave us some trouble, and I thought he was on to on of us. That is why Eternity phoned him, using my voice.

 _This is a trial. Death awaits._ With those words, I could hear the mask shatter from the other side of the call. Eternity has not told of the full extent of her powers, but soon the whole world will see life fade away. And even better, Hope has heard of these plans. Two of their agents have infiltrated this city, but they will not leave. They have blood on their hands, and I shall be the avenger!

...

 _You won't find anything this way. The mad, scattered thoughts were a false lead, and thus you remove them your sight. This spell can only view two more memories. Will the answer elude you once again?_


	4. Lost Lesson 4

**Lost Lesson 4**

 _And now the final blow! Stardust Dragon, destroy Arcanight Empress!_ The young man stops watching, having analyzed the battle. _The King sure is a fearsome opponent. There is nothing you could have done against that onslaught._ The girl in the hospital room nods in agreement, but then her head lowers again in depression. She looks at the bandaged hand again, trying to raise it.

 _The crash looked worse than it was...your hand should be better in a couple of weeks. And luckily enough, that was the final duel of the season, so you aren't missing any important matches._ The man lifts up the water bottle, moving it closer to the shaky girl. _The doctor finished checks, and I think they will release you soon. Given the situation, not bad._ The injured woman smiles: _Thank you for helping me, Oshiro-san. I guess I owe you one._

 _No need to thank me, Tanaka-san. And if you want to repay the debt, just focus on recovering and beat me in the next Duel Runner._ Then, the boy leaves and Amane is left behind in the room. _An accident..perhaps I should have refused the duel. My mind was still on...him._ Amane stifles a sob and tries not to think of the battle against the General and the sacrifices of Kyo and Atlas. That ends as expected, and she ends up in tears again.

 _Master...your brother died the death of a warrior. He gave his life to protect the world._ The Guardian speaks calmly, saying words that Amane knows are true. But those are also the words she doesn't want to hear. _It hurts...it hurts. I was at the circuit all the time, I never visited him... I didn't know what he was up to at most of the times. But he was still there...somewhere. And now he isn't._

 _I really messed up, didn't I? When that dragon attacked, I lost control of the bike and crashed it against the audience stands. Soon, Chiyo-san will call me to shout about breaking the Phoenix. She always blows her lid when someone as much as scratches her bikes._ The thought about the fellow Chosen warmed her up a little. _I guess I needed a break after all. Of course, I could have taken it without breaking my arm first._

Days pass before Amane is released from the hospital. Not many people come to visit... _well, that I expected. I don't have that many friends._ But for some reason, the self-proclaimed rival, Oshiro Kenji, is a constant visitor. After the two had clashed in the first Duel Runner final, some sort of mutual respect had formed between the two of them. And given time, that respect had become a stronger bond.

 _Well, there went my estimate my couple of days. I guess your injuries were a bit more severe than I thought. But now that you have been released, we can go celebrate it!_ The man seemed very excited, but there was something in his manner of speaking that Amane couldn't quite catch. _Iour team is going to a noodle bar, so I was wondering if you would like to join us?_

 **Later**

 _You should have gone with him, Master. Being alone will not make you feel better._ The samurai was advising his Master, who was still deep in thought. _It won't. I know he won't come back! I know that he died! I know!_ Although Amane could have used the mental bond, shouting made her happier.. _Do you realize this all? Mother killed an entire family so that she could adopt me. I was raised to be an avatar of one of the Three Generals. Mizushima-san killed my mother and we two were alone. And then we were forced to fight for Hope. Everyone I care about died because of your silly war!_

 _And so was our entire planet. Everyone I used to fight with vanished when the Source exploded. But we have to look forward._ But Amane was still not done. _Forwards? How many others are still going to die? I know of the prophecy. We are all going to die! If you want me to die, why don't you do it faster!_

 _We are not dying. The King cannot be defeated unless all seven are dead, that is true. But perhaps we do not have to. Two Generals out of three are already dead, and with your brother's sacrifice, the King is still asleep. We need to soon defeat the last one. It is your choice if you wish to stay here and cry. But you can also go help the others._ And with these words, the Guardian vanished.

Amane had stayed behind at the team's building, not looking forward to going back to her apartment. And the fact that Hisao had vanished meant the he had detected someone approaching. _Oshiro-san? Were you staying here as well?_ The boy looked surprised, but quickly recovered: _Well, we finished kinda late, so I though I should come here. Too late to head home. And what about you, Tanaka-san?_ A long silence ensued, but then she finally spoke: _I just didn't want to go home...too many memories._

 _What was he like? Your brother?_ The girl paused again, hearing this unexpected question. _He...was always helping someone with their problems. He was a meddler, but no one could hate him. He had a strange sort of charisma, so people listened. You couldn't argue with that him._ Kenji nodded: _It sounds like he was a good person. I can see why you were so broken...oops._ Luckily, Amane had been too lost in thought to notice the exact words: _Oshiro-san, have you also..._

 _Lost someone important? Well, kinda...but not quite._ The boy looked somewhat confused. _How did that "kinda" happen? I want to hear this._ The boy hesitated before speaking, his cheeks blushing with embarrassment: _I thought that you were gone, but then you returned. I mean..you are important to me, Amane._ _I..like you._ Amane just froze in place, and Kenji continued on: _Well, that was way too sudden, wasn't it. I always forget what I was going to say when..._

Kenji could not speak any further before Amane shut his mouth. With her lips. Soon, she would join the others in the battle against Despair. But now, she wasn't a soldier.

 _You don't want to watch this any further. No information can be gained this way, and the only thing that now matters in conserving energy for the last vision. This is the last chance to find the Golden One._


	5. Lost Lesson 5

_The all-observer begs to be released into the void, and his mental state is rapidly deteriorating. This will be the final try to find what you are looking for_

 **Lost Lesson 5**

 _Body blow. Left hook to chest, right to face._ The boy puts his hands in the way, pushing the enemy gloves away with his own. He hears the man breath out and sees his leg contract: _Heavy blow next._ The man puts his entire body behind a swing and misses because the boy steps out of the way at the last moment, releasing a cross in the face. _He draws back next, so I need to press on!_ Another blow is tossed in haste, but it goes high as the opponent ducks low and to the side insted of stepping back. _What...I didn't hit._

The boy is given no chance to recover from his mistake, and if he were, his confusion would still prevent him from using it. Multiple blows slip through his defense while he drops, hitting the mat. _Well done, son. But don't drop your guard after the first hit._ The boy picks himself up the mat, rising to a defensive posture again. He takes a deep breath, and begins his assault. His blows are easily defended against, but they only buy him time: _Do something. Give me a reaction!_ Then, he sees what looks like a hole in the defenses and exploits it. But while his body is committed to the blow, he sees the hand poised ready to counter. The blow hits harmlessly but his uncommitted defense is broken at the same time.

 _You are learning this well ****, but you use your mind too much. Trust your instincts more._

 _ **The name is said inaudibly...is this perhaps a glitch in the vision. The time is running out, so you gather your powers and force the recording to skip.**_

The boy, now a man, walks towards a building. _Blacked windows. If you want to use stealth in urban areas, you have to blend into the pack._ Continuing the analysis on the building, he notes multiple other out-of-place features. _This is the right place. Phoenix, give me a scan of the inside._ The Guardian nods, transforming into a spiral of heat. _Five heat signatures in the building._

He is inside the building now, an unconscious body of a man at his feet. He looks at the vortex, estimating the reactions of other people in the house. _Two signatures moving towards me. And a pair moving away._ He punches the stunned police in the neck before heading forwards.

 _ **It skipped a bit, but you have it under control now. Or at least you think so.**_

There is an enemy in wait behind the next door. They have hidden themselves well, and are in the optimal position to shoot at anyone entering the room. However, the heat signature betrays them. Thus, the man walks slowly, holding his breath not to give them a warning. Then, he estimates the height of the police and fires the gun he picked from the earlier man in the exact location he would take it he were the enemy. He hear as quickly silenced yell, and thus enters the hallway, seeing a corpse with a bullet-pierced skull.

Reinforcements would be on the way soon, so he would have no time to waste. Thus, he rushed towards the pair, knowing that it would be the target accompanied by the bodyguard. But as the stepped into the room, he heard a shot and felt a sudden pain in his chest. _He fired blindly? Amazing luck._ Two more shots the hit him, one in the leg and another in the stomach. The shooter smiled, but soon the smiled faded away. Three bullets dropped to th floor, ejected by the barrier made by the Phoenix. Then, another bullet killed the unfortunate man.

 _I know you, Impulse._ The target was now speaking: _I did not think that your group would be so interested in my hide._ He was trying to buy time. _Despair doesn't appreciate people declining our offers. But what sealed your fate was your inability to keep it a secret, Edge._ Thus, he focuses in the air surrounding the target and super-heats it. He repeats the procedure, this time targeting the air in the lungs. _If you had kept your Guardian, I couldn't do this to you. Blame yourself._

Now, Impulse is standing outside the building, watching as the flames consume the bodies within. Only then he allows the guardian to release the hold and let the outerior catch flame as well.

 **Another one? Well, this memory is going nowhere, but it has a link to another one, so perhaps that would help.**

 _Give it up, boy._ This image is between the years seen earlier, and Impulse is a teenager now. _Go home._ The boy has been tossed to the street and now braces himself against the wall. _Isn't that what the others tell you?_ A hooded man is talking to him, and now pointing at the twisted hand. _Those guys don't recruit kids, but they won't show you any mercy for being one. So, if you allow me._ He takes the broken arm, and the boy has no power in his beaten body to resist. Then, a loud snap can be heard.

 _Back where it belongs. But I didn't come here to offer charity. I came here to offer a job._ Eyes flare up for a moment, but then the young man lowers his head, muttering weakly: _What job?_ The hooded man moves his hand up the broken hand, moving it towards the head. _You are the son of a priest. You should know what "sin" is._ Hearing no answer, the other man fills the hand with a mass of blackness and pushes in somehow through the skin. _That is your job. Commit sin, and then search for me. Search for Despair._

Somehow, the boy understands. His mind is filled with a strange resolve that washes away cold and hunger. His mind is filled with what he has been taught by his father. Sin. Sins of the father. And now he knows what he must do.

Three years pass, and now the boy is in front of a church. He is no longer as innocent as before, but he still is a boy. But today, he shall become a man. It is dark outside, and no moon to light the way. But the purpose guides him. He allows the flame to flow from his guardian, directing it to his father's bedroom. Then, he enters, seeing the man filled with fear. _Who are you! Why have you done this?_ The man tries to escape, but Impulse stands in the way. The flames have surrounded the two, but Phoenix is keeping them unharmed by smoke and heat. _I am the one that killed your son._

After speaking this lie, the assassin takes a defensive posture. The priest screams in horror and anger, throwing a punch at the masked attacker. Fists collide, and a feeling of nostalgia fills Impulse. _His blows are no longer pure. Now, I have filled my father with the murderous intent towards his only son._ No gloves are protecting their hands this time., and the fight becomes more and more brutal. _The old man has weakened with age. And my skills have grown._ Then, the priest falls back his head almost touching the fire. Impulse sees his hand ready to counter, and instead smashes his both hands towards the target at once. The hit is not pure, but in drives the enemy into the flame.

Hideous screams fill the room, and Impulse speaks: _Ashes to ashes._ He smiles at the fire-charred man, and then runs out of the room laughing. _Thank you. Now I see what I was always meant to do._ Then, he calms down, addressing the hidden person. _Is patricide enough of a sin for you, Despair-san._ The hooded man simply steps into the open: _No, but it was enough for you. Welcome to my ranks, Chosen one. You have killed your namer, and thus you shall be named by me anew. Your mind is filled with beautiful acts, and by them you shall be known as Impulse._

 _ **This vision is fading away along with the last of the man who made Impulse. In a final attempt, you overload the body with energy, trying to redirect the eyes to what you want.**_

 **The – se*nt* - * - s*ll - *e - *al* - *or* - w*n – th* - *x – t*t - c*me - * - are - *e***

 _ **That is the last thing that you get out before the General vanishes from existence. Those things will be your only clue to find out the truth about the one you are looking for. The seventh.**_


End file.
